Jeffrey Herlings: “I actually drove like a gay!”
Too early, too young, too confident, too much pressure, blah blah blah... Jeffrey Herlings gave the critics a hard time during the Latvian GP. The Bullet already won his second GP of the season in Kegums. And the very fast Dutchman in particular has learned lessons about what went wrong in recent weeks. Please read on!
Congratulations on your victory in Latvia. It must be great for you after some tough matches?
Jeffrey Herlings: “It went very well. I didn't expect to be this good after some really bad matches. The last few weeks have not been good, but I have not given up hope and continued to work hard and it has finally paid off. I feel very comfortable and I will give my best again next weekend in Sweden. I see it as a training the same way I approached the Latvian GP.”
What did you think of Kegums, both the track and the battle looked really good?
Jeffrey Herlings: “I think Kegums is a very nice job. In the second heat it was tough but also technical. I showed my speed and I also showed what I can do with a motorcycle and it is great to be in the lead in such a difficult race. Me, Steven (Frossard) and Ken (Roczen) all three drove to the limit. Now I want to try to stay as good as possible!”
There are a lot of similarities between you and Ken. Do you learn something from him when you sit behind him?
Jeffrey Herlings: “In the first moto he passed me two laps before the end. I had some problems with the stragglers and that's why he walked away straight away. In the second moto he didn't pass me at all and that's why I couldn't learn from him. He is a great rider and also his style is very nice with the scrubs etc. He is in good condition. It is nice to ride with him because he is very good and also very young”
The results in recent weeks have been disappointing. How did you deal with that?
Jeffrey Herlings: "I do not know what happened. Actually, I couldn't believe it myself. But now the confidence is back. I have learned not to put the pressure on myself like I did before. My main goal for Latvia was to have fun. So far I have had some ups and downs in the GPs, but the last two races were just bad. I actually drove like a gay man! I scored few points. Kegums was more like home to me because it was sandy. Now I don't want to raise too many expectations because I expected too much before this and that's why it all went wrong. I just want to go and watch the game like a training session.”
The Bercy Supercross is reportedly keen to bring Jeffrey Herling to Paris?
Jeffrey Herlings: “I am interested, but the organization has not yet asked me. I'm still waiting for a concrete offer. I think it would be fun, yes!”
If we can believe the rumors in the corridors, the age limit in the US is going down again. This would make it possible for you to participate in the supercross championship in 2011. Are you in for it?
Jeffrey Herlings: “I heard that too, yes. At first it was from 18 years old, but now I heard that it has been reduced to 16 years old. I'm definitely interested in riding supercross. But I still have to talk to Pit Beirer about this (note: o. If it is certain that it is from 16 years old, I will talk to Pit. In principle I could do supercross there and motocross here in Europe. This is my home and I would like to become world champion. In itself, supercross fits nicely into the schedule because otherwise I have a holiday from September to May. It is better to take 1 or 2 months of rest and then start preparing for supercross. Anyway "That's still in the future. First consult with KTM and then we'll see what we do for next year."
Especially with the GPs in Lommel and Lierop, are there still a few GPs around the corner that are perfect for you?
Jeffrey Herlings: “Well, I'm looking forward to it. At the moment I am fourth in the standings and only 25 points behind third. Depending on how you look at it, there are three or four more sand courts on the program. I will do everything I can to make up points at Frossard!”
Photos credit: CDS
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